An acceptable Primary Medical Qualification is a PMQ that meets all necessary criteria for the purpose of registration with a license to practice medicine in the UK. You will need to check whether your qualification is acceptable before you start an application with the GMC.
PMQ awarded in the EEA or Switzerland
If you hold a PMQ awarded in the EEA or Switzerland, it may be classed as a ‘relevant European qualification’. Your qualification will be treated as a ‘relevant European qualification’ if it is a PMQ listed in the Relevant European Qualifications list and you have an accompanying certificate issued from the same country (if applicable).
Please note that the Relevant European Qualifications list is based on the Directive of Recognition of Professional Qualifications (the Directive) on 31 December 2020, the day the UK exited the EU.
If you missed the GMC registration webinar and would like to know the main steps you need to take in order to obtain full registration to practice, you can watch it for free here.
You can simply check if your qualification is a relevant European qualification by selecting the country where you qualified on the GMC website. This guide will tell you what qualifications you need to send to the GMC and the steps you need to take to support your application.
If you completed your internship in a different country to your primary medical qualification, you should select the country on the GMC website where you gained your qualification. This will tell you whether you will need to send any additional evidence in order for it to qualify as a ‘relevant European qualification’.
PMQ awarded outside the UK and is not a relevant European qualification
If your PMQ is from outside the UK and is not a relevant European qualification, GMC needs to make sure it is acceptable in the UK. It is highly advisable that check whether your qualification is acceptable before you start an application with the GMC.
In order to be acceptable, your PMQ must meet GMC criteria:
Must be listed on the World Directory of Medical Schools
Must be at least 5,500 hours and lasted at least 3 years
Must have included clinical rotations (clinical clerkships), both in medicine and surgery
If your PMG is not listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools, you can read a guide here on what to do next. If your qualification is not listed on the World Directory of Medical Schools, but you think it should be, please email gmc@gmc-uk.org. You will need to include your GMC reference number (if you have one) and full details of your medical school.
There is also a shortlist of overseas PMQ GMC may accept and overseas PMQ GMC does not accept, so it is definitely worth checking if your PMQ is acceptable before starting your UK journey.
Having questions?
1. You can always ask our friendly team members, mentors and senior IMGs for advice here. Our guidance is free.
2. We encourage you to watch the Q&A session from a 1-hour interactive and engaging webinar with the GMC on the GMC registration process.
In our next posts, we will provide full guidance on why you need to independently verify your PMQ and how to do it.